New US covers commissioned for Harry Potter books

Wednesday

Feb 13, 2013 at 4:05 PMFeb 13, 2013 at 4:07 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The Harry Potter books are getting a makeover.

Scholastic Inc. announced Wednesday that new covers have been commissioned for U.S. trade paperback editions of J.K. Rowling's blockbuster series. The first new cover, for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," replaces Mary GrandPre's iconic sandy-colored design of Harry in flight with a purplish-blue street setting by graphic novelist Kazu Kibuishi. The GrandPre illustrations will still be used for hardcovers and mass market paperbacks.

The new edition of "Sorcerer's Stone" is scheduled for September, the 15th anniversary of Potter's debut in the U.S. The British editions are published by Bloomsbury. They have long had separate designs from the U.S. versions.